The+Wild,+The+Innocent+&+The+E+Street+Shuffle+-+Studio+Sessions

include component="page" page="content_legendott" wrap="1" code Commercially Released: November 5, 1973 Produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos Recorded May-September 1973 at 914 Sound Studios (Blauvelt, NY) Recording Engineer: Louis Lahav code Part One - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle Sessions Overview

Recording sessions for the //The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle// (//WIESS//) album spanned a 4-5 month period, from mid-May 1973 thru mid-September 1973. All sessions took place at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY. Studio time at 914 Sound was slotted in during various itinerary breaks in the //Greetings// tour. However sessions dragged on much longer than originally anticipated and this eventually caused some gig rescheduling and cancellations during the July – September period. Contrary to myth, Columbia Records executives did not overrule any proposed track selections for the album.

The Wild & Innocent Sessions can be more easily understood if split into two distinct phases, one pre-David Sancious and the other with Sancious on board. These are as follows:


 * PHASE 1 SESSIONS -** These took place May 15-22 and June 17-26 – and featured the then-touring lineup of Springsteen, Clemons, Federici, Tallent and Lopez. Neither David Sancious nor any other musicians were involved in these initial sessions.


 * PHASE 2 SESSIONS -** These took place June 28-July 2, July 11-16, August 4-12 and September 10-25 – and included all of the above-mentioned musicians PLUS new E Street Band member David Sancious (who officially joined on June 28), as well as niche session contributions by Suki Lahav (vocals), Richard Blackwell (congas, percussion) and Albee Tellone (baritone sax).

Most of the basic ensemble recording of //WIESS// emanates from the PHASE 1 SESSIONS, prior to the arrival of David Sancious to the sessions on June 28. Sancious verified in a late 1970s interview in Thunder Road magazine that most of the session songs had already been recorded (as basic tracks) by the time he joined. He then overdubbed his parts onto these recordings. The latter phase of the session involved embellishing additional “frills” instrumentation, vocals and experimenting with different mixes. No audio evidence has yet emerged that any of the basic recordings of were re-recorded from scratch with Sancious. Indeed, one of the most noteworthy aspects to the audio evidence that has emerged from the //WIESS// Sessions is that there is not one genuine alternate take to be found – all song recording variations are merely alternate mixes of the same basic recording. According to studio logs, just one song was recorded but has not yet circulated in any fashion, the intriguing "Fire On The Wing".

Part Two - WIESS Sessions Details

Note: Written in mid-1972 as "Circus Town". Performed live by Bruce very regularly (as an acoustic show opener) from late 1972 (by which time it was being called "Circus Song") up until mid-1974. The song always had the same melody; the title changes reflect modest changes in the lyrics. Recorded in its "Circus Song" guise during the phase one sessions on May 14, 1973. The album version was recorded on June 25, 26 and 28, 1973 at 914 Sound. Note: Written around early/mid-1973. Known to have been played live as early as June 6, 1973, before Sancious joined the band. Recorded at 914 Sound on June 28, 1973. Albee Tellone (the sound manager on Bruce’s road crew from November 72-December 73) believes it was Sancious' presence that inspired the tune. Albee says: "I went to David's house with Bruce to learn it while David played his piano. I thought that they had written it together." He goes on to say: "We all went to the studio and played "live" together in the large room just like we had rehearsed it in the garage in Deal, NJ. Bruce sang it "live" then too. I was told that they were going to keep only the drums and bass parts and build overdubs from there. Bruce played rhythm on his Telecaster but replaced it later as the tracks were added. I came back on another day to overdub my sax part. We also recorded the "tune-up" intro with tuba and cornet separately when I came back to play the baritone sax part." Albee Tellone guests on baritone sax. Tellone would be a special guest on this song during the first three months of the //WIESS// tour (October-December 1973). Thanks to Albee for the information. Click to view an early "E Street Shuffle" lyric sheet. Note: Written during mid-1973 and recorded on Springsteen's birthday - September 23, 1973. It was apparently the final song completed for the album. Note: Written during mid-1973. In 1974 Bruce mentioned he got the idea for the title from a neon sign promoting the return of popular stripper’s show to a local Shore-area club. Base track was recorded June 28, 1973 with overdubs on July 24 and September 23. David Sancious has mentioned in interview that the organ solo on this track is his - presumably added at one of the overdub/mixing sessions. One of the final songs completed for the album. All are slightly different mixes of the same recording. Note: Written during June and early July 1973 and recorded June 28 and August 7, 1973. The composition was created by taking another song from this period, "New York Song", and then combining it with elements of a composition from 1972 called "Vibes Man". This was first performed live in its 'Serenade' incarnation July 18, 1973. V1a and V1b are the same basic recording. However V1b (presumably overdubbed on August 7) includes the addition of strings, group vocals and congas (courtesy Richard Blackwell). Note: Written in late 1972 and performed live on rare occasions in early-mid 1973 but not performed regularly until late 1973. V1a is the instrumental backing track. Both stem from the phase two sessions (studio logs suggest September 23, 1973) and feature David Sancious. Note: Written in mid-1973. All three of the above-mentioned versions are the same basic recording, which was probably recorded August 9, 1973. V1a is the instrumental backing track. V1b features Bruce’s original vocal overdub with his “bandits in the sky” lyric line. V1c features a later vocal overdub (from September 23, 1973) by Bruce that changed the “bandits” line. Note: The melody is the exact same as the earlier recorded and completed "Phantoms". All four of the above-mentioned versions are the same basic recording, which emanates from June 28, 1973. V1a is the basic instrumental track. V1b is the basic recording (without the sax solo) and features the band’s vocals added in. V1c is the same as V1b except in includes the sax solo. V1c was the version pressed on acetate, used as the publishing demo and it is this version that had circulated on various boots for many years. V1d was completed on August 7 and includes additional piano courtesy David Sancious, a layer of acoustic guitar (Bruce) and a haunting vocal overdub by Suki Lahav. V4 had never circulated prior to its emergence on //Tracks// and it’s stunning. Suki is not credited in the //Tracks// booklet. Note: Written in late 1972 or early 1973. Performed live by Bruce during the April-June, 1973 period. V1a and V1b are the same recording but a slightly different mix. Recorded at 914 Sound on June 22, 26 and 28, as well as July 1 and 24, 1973. Frequently logged as 'Johnny & The Hurricanes Song'. Note: Written in mid-1972. This was performed live regularly, usually as the big show closer, from October 1972 right up until Vini Lopez’ departure from the band in February 1974. The basic recording of V1a emanates from the phase one sessions on June 22, with further work undertaken on August 7 and 9 – but it was never completed at that time. Springsteen completed the overdubbing and mixing in 1998 for //Tracks//, going as far as enlisting the help of Vini Lopez to keep the vocals true to its original intention – the results are magnificent. Note: Also known as "Hey Santa Ana". Written in late 1972 or early 1973. Performed live by Bruce at a few shows during the April-June 1973 period. Both V1a and V1b are the same basic recording. V1a was recorded during phase one on either June 22 or 26, 1973. However V1b is an embellished mix and was completed early in the phase two sessions, on June 28 or July 1. V1b includes piano (courtesy David Sancious), a layer of acoustic guitar (Bruce), calypso percussion (Richard Blackwell) and the addition of Suki Lahav’s voice in the group vocal mix. However the flute playing heard in V1a (courtesy of Clarence) has been entirely removed from the V1b mix. V1b had never circulated prior to its emergence on //Tracks// and it’s stunning. Note: Allegedly written in late 1971. The earliest known live performance was during the March 1973 residency at Oliver’s in Boston. It was then played live several more times into May. The studio version was recorded (in one take) on May 16, 1973 at 914 Sound Studios during phase one of the sessions. The recording features the Springsteen-Federici-Tallent-Clemons-Lopez lineup (pre-Sancious) and doesn’t include any overdubs. Mike Appel requested the studio take for publishing purposes. It does not appear that Springsteen had the song seriously in mind for his next album. In late 1973 Mike Appel sent the demo to UK Publisher Intersong Music and in early 1974 to several USA radio stations - the song gradually became an underground hit in places like Houston, Phoenix and Boston. Springsteen’s original completed lyric sheet titles the song "(I Got The) Fever For The Girl". Originally published by Laurel Canyon under the title "Fever For The Girl" and first released under that title by singer Alan Rich in 1975. The song was recorded and released by Southside Johnny (several months after Alan Rich) under the amended title “The Fever”. Note: Written during late 1972 or early 1973. Originally titled "There Are No Kings In Texas" but Bruce has copyright under the title "Evacuation Of the West". According to studio logs, recorded June 22 and 28, 1973. This band recording does not feature David Sancious and does not include any instrumental or vocal overdubs. It may have been played live in early 1973 but, as yet, there is no verified live performance. In November 1997, considered for //Tracks//. Note: Written during early 1973. Also known by the title "Over The Hills Of St George". Apparently performed live several times during May-June 1973 (most famously on June 13 in Binghamton). The studio take (which is similar to the live version) was recorded June 22, 26 and 28, plus July 1, 1973 and does not feature David Sancious. Bruce kept the melody, wrote entirely new lyrics and the song emerged as “Zero & Blind Terry” at live shows in July, although he worked on both song simultaneously in the studio. Note: A completely uncirculated track from the //Wild & Innocent// sessions. Recorded at 914 Studios on August 7, 1973 and apparently considered for //Tracks// - the song was transferred from the 16-track master in early November 1997. Note: Written during late 1972 or early 1973. Performed live (as a solo acoustic piece) several times during the March-May 1973 period. A studio version was recorded either June 20 or 22, 1973 and its arrangement is apparently similar to the known live renditions, but piano based with sparse band backing. Later in June, Springsteen took most of the lyrics to "New York Song", combined it with the lyrics and part of the melody of a 1972 song called "Vibes Man", and created the epic "New York City Serenade". Note: Lyrics written by Bruce in late 1972-early 1973. The melody and some of the lyrics are lifted from a 1971 Bruce Springsteen Band-era song called “The Band’s Just Boppin’ The Blues”. There are two verified live performances of “Secret To The Blues” in May-June 1973, and a third unconfirmed performance from January 1973. Note: Written mid to late 1973. There is only one known live performance, during the //Wild & Innocent// tour, at Houston’s Liberty Hall on March 10, 1974. More commonly known by fans under that live performance’s bootlegged titles of either “She's So Fine” or “Ride On Sweet William”.

Part Three - Additional Information

There are three other known (but not //WIESS// LP-related) studio sessions that took place during this general time frame that need to be mentioned. The first two of these were at 914 Sound Studios on January 29-30 and February 19-20, 1973. These were both Publishing demo sessions for Laurel Canyon Music. As these more correctly belong with other 1972 publishing demo recording these sessions can be found in the On The Tracks section under Publisher Demos. The third session that needs to be mentioned was at Alpha Sound Studios in Richmond on May 31, 1973. This was undertaken specifically for a live simulcast on Richmond’s WGOE-FM (a small station that lacked the facilities to record the band inside the station’s premises). All the songs recorded during this session were recorded in front of a small live audience and, according to the studio engineer who produced this session, all the material that was recorded was broadcast that day (and is circulating on boots). All this session’s material can be found in the live concert Brucebase section under the date May 31, 1973.

Part Four - Rumoured Songs From The //WIESS// Era

The following titles emanate from the fall 1972 to fall 1973 period. All the titles below are based on information garnered either from completed lyric sheets, partially completed lyric sheets or documents in Springsteen's handwriting containing song titles (but no lyrics). Springsteen often creates song titles first and then attempts to write words and music around it. So the existence of a song title is no assurance that a song was ever created. There is as yet no solid evidence these were completed songs (words and music) and no evidence they were recorded during any of the //WIESS// sessions. If they do exist as recordings the may likely be either as work-in-progress home cassette recordings or solo publishing demos from 914 Sound Studios. It's also possible that some of these songs are merely work-in-progress or alternative titles for other tracks that we are more familiar with. Only time will tell what emerges from the vaults. Please also refer to the Rumoured Songs section of the //Born To Run// sessions section, as some of those titles may turn out to be from the //WIESS// era.

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